


Boy in a bubble

by Sunfloawer



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: A lot of discrimination and stereotyping and bullying, Angst, Chan as a wolf no surprise there, Changbin the panther, Changbin will be mean too but he a babie, Felix is a leopard, His character arc is promising, Hyunjin as a giraffe, I like making my biases suffer, Jeongin the fox, Jilix best friends agenda, Jisung the red panda, Like a lot of angst??, Lots of Crying, M/M, Minho as caracal, Minho will be mean :(, Seungmin as a deer, The boys are hybrids, Woojin a cute polar bear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:20:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22944658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunfloawer/pseuds/Sunfloawer
Summary: Felix was eighteen when he sacrificed everything just to chase his childish dreams of a better world and fair treatment.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Felix, Han Jisung | Han/Seo Changbin, Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Woojin, Kim Seungmin/Yang Jeongin | I.N, Lee Felix/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Comments: 3
Kudos: 56





	1. Sunflower

**Author's Note:**

> This is a hybrid au?! I’ll try not to make it stereotypical? It’s gonna be a lot about people having to fight for themselves and everyone suffers in here so hah, no one’s safe.

Felix loved his parents. And they loved him too. When he was four and his curious eyes wondered over all the colourful dresses, his mother smiled and made him parade them around with a pretty smile on his face. When his interests shifted to the stars, his parents brought him to the planetarium, his father helped him stick glow in the dark stars on the ceiling of his room, smiling at him proudly. And when he became fascinated by the sea, the stars were swept away with a fish tank. Felix loved his parents. And they loved him too. 

So when he told them that he wanted to study criminal justice, his parents were happy for him. Although his father was a bit worried that the cruel world might hurt his boy, his mother whacked him over the back of his head and said that what Felix wants, he achieves. 

And the world was a cruel place, but Felix was born with an advantage, something that in the eyes of a lot of people made him better, more desirable. The boy was what one would consider a predator, even if he didn’t feel like one. 

One could be either a prey or a predator. Born with a second spirit, an animal, bearing their features as representation. The higher one was on the food chain, more respect they received. 

Preys and predators. 

Preys were mostly seen as docile people, ones that would end up working office jobs, being teachers, working with children and old people. And even that was if they were lucky. It was not odd to see them working as photographers or dancers, models even. If one would be asked what a human prey would be like, they would usually answer with: gentle, soft spoken, small, family oriented. 

Predators were the exact opposite. They were usually seen as the wild cards, strong and independent, natural leaders. Someone who you would look up to, an authoritative figure. Rippling muscles and tall, strong features and an even more dominant aura. Expected to lead in their life, to be the head of the family. 

And Felix was born a a predator. His parents didn’t doubt it as the boy was born, small and soft spotted ears on his head, eyes a soft brown, indicating that their boy was, in fact, a predator. And from the looks of the ears, one from the cat family. 

When he was two weeks old, his eye colour shifted to melted pools of amber, curiosity pouring out of them as he watched the world change around him as he changed with it too. He grew into his ears, the fur black with one soft brown spot in the middle, like a second pair of eyes at the back of his head. 

Just from his ears, it was clear to everyone around him that even in the predator hierarchy, the boy was at the top of the food chain, being a some sort of a big cat. His mother guessed tiger, his father rather stayed silent and watched his boy grow into an individual, hoping to bring up a kind and lovable boy, no matter what happens. 

The parents had agreed to not put pressure on the boy, to let him grow up as a child, enjoy everything he wanted. And it was rather easy, with people being more forgiving to children, not expecting for them to be preys and predators as kids. 

And Felix grew up a happy child. And mostly, it was thanks to his parents. 

When he thought that Cinderella’s dress was very pretty, his mother asked him if he wanted to try it on. And Felix said yes without thinking, the blue so pretty as his mother bought the dress, smiling down at him as he twirled around in their living room, a pretty tiara at the top of his blond hair. Felix had been four and he was the happiest he had ever been. 

The dresses shifted to the back of his wardrobe, being replaced with soft sweaters and pastel coloured t shirts as he grew. His tastes staying on soft colours and even softer textures. 

When he got interested in the stars, his father was overjoyed, taking him and his mother to the planetarium every few Saturdays, watching how fascinated Felix was with the stars, the moon, every single planet and corner of the galaxy. He brought him glow in the dark stars one Monday after work, watching as the boy’s eyes shone with joy as they stuck them to the ceiling, trying to replicate various constellations. 

His father brought him a telescope when he was eight, the two of them mapping the night sky out every Friday, his mother watching them with pride. Making them their favourite dumplings, she would call them for dinner, the five of them (an older and your sister included) eating together as Felix chatted their ears off about all the beautiful stars he saw. Felix was eight and he was the happiest he had ever been. 

When his interest shifted from the stars and the night sky to the deepest parts of the sea and all the animals in it, his parents put the telescope in the back of the storage room, bringing him to the aquarium every few Sundays. 

They watched him stare in fascination at all the animals, the seals swimming around playfully, the colourful fishes swimming around the corals, the sharks they had in a separate area. Even the penguins at the half open half closed side of the building. Felix would come home with different plushies every time, his collection varying from dolphins and fishes to turtles and sea horses, all of them having names, special two penguins called Kiwoo and Jihye, named after his parents, always kept together on his bed. 

The fish tank sitting on top of his dresser glowed a beautiful blue in the dark from the soft night lamp and the glow in the dark stars. The fishes colourful, different shades of blues, reds, yellows and greens, Felix’s favourite being a beautiful purple Anthia. Felix was ten and he was the happiest he had ever been. 

The Australian sun licked at his face, the sand under his fingers soft as he dug them in deeper, the soft breeze moving his light blond hair in the wind. His mother nagging at his dad to put on some sunscreen, the boy smiling secretly at them bickering. His dad was going to be bright red, just like he always was after their beach days, because he never listened to his wife. And then he’d tease him as his mum would rub aloe vera over his dad’s skin. 

He turned his head to look at the sea, the waves soft, licking at the wet sand, children running around cheerfully, carefree and joyful, getting along even if they were prey and predators. 

Felix was thirteen and just found out he was an Amur leopard, someone so rare even the doctor had to take a double look at the papers. He was thirteen, and he was still the happiest he had ever been, because four most important people in his life were by his side, telling him how proud they were of him. 

And even if he was a predator, a very rare predator, who was soft and loving, the opposite of what he should be, his parents and sisters still loved him. Loved his fuzzy yellow sweaters, his childish Pokemon socks, the sun amulet that rested against his chest. His family loved him just the way he was, and that was all that mattered. Felix was happy, even if some people looked at him weirdly, thought he was weird, thought his sweaters didn’t fit his nature and laughed at his painted nails. 

The boy was fifteen, leaving his fish tank and glow in the dark stars behind him in Australia as they moved to Seoul. His father having been offered a highly paying job as an architect in a firm, a position to be a partner in the business. And even if Felix loved Australia, loved Sydney and the port, the hot summer days and the way people were so open minded, loved eating watermelon with his mother when it got too hot, he loved his family too much. 

So Felix left his aquarium and telescope with his friend, making him swear that he was going to keep them safe for him. He couldn’t part with the two penguins, with Kiwoo and Jihye, so he took them with him to Seoul, packed away in the moving boxes, taped up with the ugly yellow tape and following after them. 

Seoul was cold compared to Sydney. The architecture overlapping with culture, making Felix stare in awe as his father told him about all the different styles, the different places he’s gonna take him to, all the fun they were going to have together. 

The house was different compared to the one he grew up in. There was no grassy yard, no place to play soccer in with his sisters, nowhere where he could sunbath as his mother would talk to him while she was repainting the old shed they had. 

The house was cold, no neighbours coming to greet them, but Felix had his family with him, and he was sure that the mornings will still be a mix of gold and copper when he’ll wake up, his mother smiling at him, father teasing him about his bed hair and sisters bickering about who’s faster, Superman or the Flash. 

The yellow sweaters and pastel t shirts were exchanged to a school uniform, the boy cringing as he hated how the dark blues and greys looked on him. He looked plain, just like everyone else. Felix had always liked how various shades of pinks and yellows looked on him, but it wasn’t supposed to be like that. 

Predators were supposed to like masculine colours. Blues and greens and greys. Felix knew it was toxic, he hated the mindset, but the world was cruel and everything was stereotyped, you had to fit into a specific box. And if you didn’t fit in, people thought you were weird, they shunned you out and talked about you like you didn’t matter. 

So Felix wore the greys and the dark blues to school, avoiding looking at the mirrors and windows so he wouldn’t see his own reflection. If he managed to avert his gaze from any reflecting surface, maybe he could pretend he was wearing his favourite pastel blue sweatshirt. 

Felix was sixteen when he stopped wearing his favourite Pokémon socks, a classmate laughing at him and telling him that he was a freak. He came back home with tears clinging onto his eyelashes, and his sister teased him for it, but still brought him into a tight hug, telling him that he was still her baby brother, still her favourite kitten. 

He would stare at the grey socks he would wear, refusing to wear black ones, and he would hate society. Hate that he had to fit into some standard, that he had to be a certain way to be seen normal. 

He was sixteen when it wasn’t the happiest year of his life. 

His classmates were okay for the most part. Some teasing here and there, sometimes some mean words, but Felix learned to ignore them. He learned that he could turn the volume of his music up, that he could pretend like he cared enough. 

What kind of dance is that? Are you some kind of a fag? 

Felix didn’t know how different South Korea was from Australia. While in Sydney, a lot more things were looked at through fingers, children and teens were let to have more freedom, to explore more outside of the box they were put in. 

But South Korea was different. Predators had to be manly in here. Had to ooze masculinity, play sports and be dominant. And Felix was everything but that. He liked to smile a lot, and he hugged his friends tightly, liked kissing his parents on the cheeks every night before going to sleep. He liked sunflowers and thought that sparkly eyeshadow was pretty. 

And when people found out that he was not just a low tier predator, but someone so rare, so fascinating, they singled him out. 

South Korea was different and Felix was labelled a freak by his peers, even the teachers looked at him weirdly. 

Lee Felix was seventeen when he stopped wearing pinks and yellows, when he ditched the nail polish and became what his peers wanted him to be. He became the stereotypical alpha everyone expected him to become. His parents saw the change in him, told him that it was okay to be different, but Felix told them that he just grew up, grew out of the pastels and the stars and the seas he had loved so much. 

He looked at his sisters with bitterness as they wore pastel skirts and sparkly eyeshadow. He’d smile at them, telling them how pretty they were, telling them how lucky they were. And then he’d let them put make up on him, just for one hour, for one day, not like anyone else will see him like that. 

Felix was seventeen when he stopped dancing and it was the saddest year of his life. 

Felix was eighteen and standing in front of the doors of his new dorm, boxes held up by his family as they looked at each other with tears in their eyes. 

His father had gotten an offer to go back to Sydney, to be the head of the branch in Australia, and he knew how much his family had missed the country. It was their home. So with an aching heart the boy said goodbye to his parents, deciding that Seoul was going to be his home for at least four more years, at least until he will finish his bachelor’s degree. 

“You know you can always come back to Australia, you’ll always be welcomed with open arms.” Felix smiles at that softly, setting the boxes down on the ground before squeezing his mother into a tight hug, letting her kiss his forehead. “You’ll always have you stars and seas if you’ll decide to come back home.” 

Tears clung to his lashes again, his sisters and father joining in the hug, arms wrapped around each other and Felix letting out a wet chuckle. 

“Look at the moon whenever you’ll miss us, we’ll be looking right back at it.” 

His sisters kissed his cheeks, the boy letting out playful groans as he got teased, cheeks burning bright as some students passed by, looking at the odd family with raised eyebrows, whispering to themselves. 

“Go. Please go because I’ll cry and then I won’t let you go and then we will all be sad.” He gripped the bottom of his back sweatshirt tightly, watching as his family held in their tears, giving him sweet smiles in encouragement. 

His mother gave him one last hug, squeezing his waist tightly, sisters trying to hold in their tears and his father ruffling his hair teasingly. “You’ll come back for summer break and it will be like we never moved away.” Felix laughed at that, nodding his head and his face was still buried in his mother’s neck, separating from her after a few moments. 

“Please go, and call me when you’ll be home.” His parents and sisters let go of him reluctantly, Felix having to shoo them away with a watery smile and a wave, breathing in as he looked at the boxes by his feet, happy that his family didn’t fight him when he said that he wanted to move everything by himself. 

The boy just didn’t want anyone to see that he hadn’t let go of the pastel sweaters and nail polish from years ago, that he still had his two penguins and the small box full of rings and necklaces, his sun amulet resting against his chest, giving him a warm feeling. 

It took him an hour to move all the boxes inside, declining help from one of the RA’s who asked if he needed a hand. 

The left side of the room was already occupied, clothes folded messily and shoes lined up by the wardrobe. Felix hoped his roommate was going to be nice. Hoped his roommate was going to be someone from the prey species, someone he wouldn’t have to try to impress with being someone he wasn’t. 

But he still hid away his pastel clothes at the back of the wardrobe, folded tightly and hid by the greys, blacks and blues he had managed to stop hating some time ago. The little box of jewellery hidden in the back of the bottom drawer, behind his socks and underwear. 

The walls were plain soft grey, and Felix could feel himself letting out a disappointed sigh. He was going to miss the sky blue of his room and the sunflowers painted by the window. But this was his new life, he had to be tough if he wanted to survive. 

His lectures were going to be full of other predators, people who are used to fighting for their wants and being dominant. And Felix could feel dread filling him up. Tomorrow was going to be a hard day. But he still had to put his things away, had to organise his books and make sure that the sparkly red pen was hidden well. 

With a heavy sigh, he ruffled his hair and looked around, his bed pushed up against the wall, a small bedside table by the other side of it. His sunflower lamp would have fit there perfectly, if he hadn’t been a coward and given it to his sister to keep safe. 

Maybe if his roommate was going to be nice enough, they’ll paint sunflowers onto one of the pairs of white converses the boy has taken with him. 

Lee Felix was eighteen and it was the loneliest day of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> English is my third language so yeah, sorry for the mistakes! I know hybrid aus have been overdone but I still liked the idea a lot! I’m gonna try to do something different with this story :)


	2. La vie en belle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He finally felt like he made his first friend, his roommate could, as his sister would put it, suck it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some official meetings and tiny bit of angst are ahead!

Felix was anxious as he sat on his bed, having already talked to his family, wishing them a safe flight back to Sydney tomorrow. His two penguins were sat down on his bed, not having enough mental strength to put them anywhere else. It was always been their spot, to sit on his bed as if he was being watched over by his parents. 

He still hasn’t met his roommate and it was already almost ten in the evening, the boy’s eyelids heavy as he tried to stay awake, cuddled up into his blanket and scrolling through his messages, laughing at some that his sisters had sent him. 

The lamp on the bedside illuminated his face with a soft glow, giving him a more golden tone rather than the plain old tan he usually had. Felix’s ears were drawn back as he looked through his schedule for tomorrow, having to go to an introduction course and then something about the whole course having some team building activities because it was their first day in the university. 

His side of the room was neatly cleaned, every single piece of object he owned in the right place, his books on his desk and his shelf, shoes put away neatly in the shoe rack. Felix had even walked around a bit, found the showers and the kitchen he was going to be sharing with the other students living on the same floor.

He had even managed to see some students mingling, some nodded in his direction as a greeting, some didn’t even notice him. Felix had looked at some of them with wonder, noticing a bunny and fox hybrids hugging in the hallway. When he met the eyes of the fox he almost yelped and bolted down the hallway, cursing at himself for making such a bad first impression. 

That was how he ended up back in his room, curled up on his bed, bored and anxiously waiting for his roommate to come back, so that he could officially meet him. He thought it was going to be fun, maybe the two of them will get along and will have fun exploring the university and Seoul during their first year. 

But now it was eleven and he was still alone in the room, occasionally hearing someone walking past the doors and hoping it was his roommate. 

The boy had lost hope on waiting up, hurrying into the showers as his body ached from exhaustion, limbs heavy and fingers lazily massaging his scalp as he rinsed the shampoo out. He hissed in pleasure as his fingers scraped again the itchy spot at the side of his head, right under his left ear, nose twitching as he let out a giggle. 

With a towel securely wrapped around his waist, Felix stepped out of the shower and went over to the mirror, barring his teeth at his reflection and furrowing his eyebrows as he brushed them with toothpaste. He almost spit it out as he groaned and realised that he had taken his sister’s paste, the toothpaste a bit too strong for his gums. 

Felix laid on his bed, hair half dry and a bird’s nest as he pressed one of his cheeks into the sheets, skin pink and hot from the shower. His ears twitched as he could hear someone talking while passing by his room. The boy could feel his eyes becoming heavy, opting to set up an alarm clock just in case he managed to fall asleep. 

His head rested against the pillow, curled up into a tight ball, the blankets ditched to the side, and he blacked out in seconds, breathing deeply as he fell asleep. 

A loud bang of the doors woke the leopard up, Felix shooting up to sit in his bed, hair messy and ears alert, catching every single sound around him. He heard someone cursing. Someone was in his room. A loud curse could be heard as the person walked into the corner of the table, hissing in pain and Felix leaned over his bed to turn the table lamp on. 

He was met with light yellow wide eyes and the prettiest lips he had ever seen. His body was frozen in place but his thoughts ran a mile per-second. His roommate! This was probably his roommate! There was no other explanation. 

The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds, Felix taking in the pointed soft brown ears at the top of the other’s fluffy brown hair, the clear giveaway that he was some sort of a cat hybrid. Maybe some type of an expensive house cat? Or maybe even something like a fox? And he could feel that the other was watching him too, studying his features. 

“So you’re my roommate?” Felix could only nod his head in response, watching as the other flopped down onto his own bed, staring at the ceiling before exhaling and curling and uncurling his fingers as he sighed. “Cool.” 

“I’m Felix!” The freckled boy tried to keep his voice stable as he turned to watch his roommate, the other not reacting to him much, just continuing to stare at the ceiling with furrowed eyebrows. The curling and uncurling of his fingers continued. 

“Cool, but I didn’t ask.” He could feel his heart already sinking to the pits of his stomach, lungs filled up to the brim and tongue heavy in his mouth. “Can I know your name?” His roommate finally turned his head to face him, eyes narrowed and eyebrows pulled into a straight line as he studied him.

“We aren’t friends, we’re roommates, we don’t have to get along.” Felix had to blink back the tears that were starting to gather at the corners of his eyes. Bottom lip quivering as his teeth sunk into it. So much for asking for a nice roommate. 

“I just wanted to know your name.” 

“Oh shut up.” The boy let out a confused huh? Curling into himself a little bit more, arms wrapping themselves around his waist as if he was trying to protect himself. His shoulders shook the slightest bit, but it was unnoticeable due to the oversized sweatshirt he had been wearing to bed. 

“I don’t need some stuck up predator trying to be my friend. What are you? A tiger? Your ears are a dead giveaway.” Felix looked at the other for a few seconds, his roommate watching him with a blank expression. “You have everything hand picked and given to you just because you’re some fancy hybrid. Well, news flash, this is university and you’ll have to work for it, kitten.” 

The pet name sounded bitter as it escaped his roommate’s lips, slashing into Felix’s heart as it reminded him of his older sister. But he knew the difference between this situation and his sibling. His roommate was mocking him, while his sister genuinely loved him. 

Felix turned around in his bed, not wanting the other to see him crying, tears slipping down his cheeks and disappearing into the wet patch on his pillow. He dragged his blanket over his body and held onto the corner of it, gripping it tightly for comfort. 

“Minho. Not like you’re gonna need my name either way.” Felix smiled at himself bitterly. He got what he wanted at least. He did ask for his name. 

He could hear the other, Minho, walking around the side of his room, putting the rest of his things away. Felix’s eyelids grew heavy again, lulling him into slumber, ears flat against his hair as he slipped into dreamless darkness, body heavy and exhausted. 

The alarm clock blared through the room, making Felix jump up, alerted and panicking from the loud sound. His first instinct was to check if his roommate was awake. He was gone. His bed was already made, almost like he hasn’t slept in it, a comforter thrown on top of it. 

He scrambled out of the bed to turn the alarm off next, breathing out as he saw that he didn’t have much time before he had to leave. His eyes burned a bit and the skin under them felt raw, but Felix simply opted to put on some moisturising cream and leave it like that. 

The greys and dark blues were glaring at him from the wardrobe and Felix groaned, running his fingers through the soft materials of his sweaters, opting on a black oversized sweatshirt, something that would make him look bigger than he was. He topped it off with simple blue jeans and his favourite yellow running shoes. 

He had to rush to the showers in order to be able to brush his teeth, students in a rush to get ready around him. A few bumped into him, apologising as they kept on going their way. Felix barely managed to squeeze through the students in the hallways, looking at the number plates and Korean words, searching for the introduction to criminal law I. 

He could see some people going in and out of the room with that specific number plate, rushing to the doors, hopefully not too late. 

A sigh of relief left his lungs. The professor was not there yet, and Felix was safe from being embarrassed. 

Felix found a seat at the back of the auditorium, rushing up the stairs and sinking into the chair, dropping his books in front of himself onto the table. Students started rushing in and filling up the seats in the auditorium, some giving Felix second and third glances, whispering to each other, some minding their own business. A few even stared at the boy without any shame, watching him and his spotted ears and golden eyes. 

The seats around him were unoccupied, the other students opting to sit a few seats away, opting to watch him from a far, like he was an exotic animal in a zoo. 

“Hey! Can I sit here?” The boy didn’t even have time before the seat to his right was occupied, a boy with pretty eyes, a pretty smile and even prettier round burnt red ears sat right there, looking at him with a friendly expression. “Hello again! I’m Han Jisung, it’s nice to meet you.” 

Felix struggled to take in the information, eyes wide as he watched the boy near him, automatically comparing his friendly nature to how rude his roommate had been yesterday. “I, I’m Felix, it’s also nice to meet you.” 

His voice cracked as he stumbled over his words, cheeks burning a bright red, embarrassment filling him up. But his anxiety died down as he was met with loud and cheerful laughter, Jisung smiling at him widely and eyes shining brightly. “You’re cute.” 

The leopard wouldn’t help and stare at the two soft ears Jisung had. The fur fluffy and soft looking, and Felix couldn’t figure out what the other was. He could guess bear, but what kind? And the boy’s chest filled up with warmth as he thought about the first nice predator he had met, at least apart from his family. 

“Red panda.” 

“Huh?” Jisung let out another round of laughter, more students turning to look at the two of them and Felix’s cheeks dusting over with soft pink again. “I’m a red panda hybrid.” Now his ears made sense, burnt red fur outside and white fur inside, soft looking just like the animal itself. 

The corners of Felix’s lips tugged downwards. Jisung was considered prey, he wasn’t going to want to hang out with him. He was going to see him as stuck up too, just like his roommate. And the boy just wanted to make some friends. 

“What are you?” Jisung looked at his ears and at his eyes, the panda’s eyes a dark grey, something only found in preys. “If you don’t mind telling me? I figured you’re some sort of a big cat hybrid?” Felix gulped loudly and his fingers played with the hem of his sweatshirt, feeling eyes on him, ears pressed flat to his hair. 

“I’m a leopard.” The red panda let out a soft gasp, eyes widening and Felix was waiting for the other to move away from him, to start avoiding him too. “That’s so cool! I never met a leopard before!” Jisung didn’t sound alarmed and that made Felix snap his head to the side to look at him again. No, the red panda looked surprised, but also happy. 

“Your ears are so cute, and I’ve never seen anyone with golden eyes too!” Felix covered into himself a little bit, but his chest felt warm and he had let go of the hem of his sweatshirt, relaxing a little bit. Jisung seemed sweet. Maybe a bit too loud sometimes, but still very sweet. 

As the professor walked into the auditorium, both boys smiled at each other and Felix hurriedly said yes as Jisung asked him if he wanted to eat lunch together. 

He finally felt like he made his first friend, his roommate could, as his sister would put it, suck it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahaha, I swear Minho isn’t that bad, he has his reasons. The others will be introduced in the next two chapters! Hope you liked the update :]


End file.
